These are the top 10 worst schools for free speech this year

The Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression (FIRE) released its 2022-2023 university rankings on Wednesday morning. The ratings preview how college campuses respect freedom of speech through speech codes, administrative behavior, and student perception.

“Our new and improved rankings are intended to reward universities that protect and defend the freedom of speech while empowering students and parents who care about free speech not to attend or support universities that don’t,” FIRE President and CEO Greg Lukianoff said in a prepared statement to Campus Reform. 

44,847 students from over 203 universities were surveyed about the speech climate on their campus to generate the report. FIRE states that the rankings are based on “a composite score of 10 subcomponents, six of which assess student perceptions of different aspects of the speech climate on… campus.”

The remaining four subcomponents analyzed “administrative behavior” pertaining to on-campus free speech.

“Higher scores indicate a better campus climate for free speech and expression,” the report explains.

Each university received either a yellow light or red light rating. 

Universities that were given a red light speech code rating have “at least one…policy that both clearly and substantially restricts freedom of speech.” And universities given a yellow light speech code rating indicates that the university has “at least one…policy that restricts a more limited amount of protected expression or, by virtue of vague wording, can too easily be used to restrict protected expression.”

Below are the top 10 universities FIRE recognized as being the least friendly for free-speech:

Santa Clara University

Santa Clara University, California, was ranked 194th out of 203 for the 2022-2023 academic year. The university ranked 71st for being tolerant of controversial speakers, including both conservative and liberal individuals.

The university ranked 92nd in student acceptance of disrupting speaker events and disinvited no speakers from campus between 2019-2022.

Regarding student perception of the campus climate, the university ranked 202th in “comfort expressing ideas,” 201st for trusting administrative support for speech, and 178th for the ability to have difficult discussions on campus.

The school has a 2.6:1 liberal to conservative student ratio.

The university was given a red light speech code rating.

Scripps College

Scripps College, California, was ranked 195th out of 203 for the 2022-2023 academic year. The university ranked 79th for being tolerant of controversial speakers, including both conservative and liberal individuals.

The university ranked 198th in student acceptance of disrupting speaker events and disinvited no speakers from campus between 2019-2022.

Regarding student perception of the campus climate, the university ranked 182nd in “comfort expressing ideas,” 197th for trusting administrative support for speech, and 17th for the ability to have difficult discussions on campus.

The school has a 41.5:1 liberal to conservative student ratio.

The university was given a red light speech code rating.

Pitzer College

Pitzer College, California, was ranked 196th out of 203 for the 2022-2023 academic year. The university ranked 120th for being tolerant of controversial speakers, including both conservative and liberal individuals.

The university ranked 197th in student acceptance of disrupting speaker events and disinvited one speaker from campus between 2019-2022.

Regarding student perception of the campus climate, the university ranked 175th in “comfort expressing ideas,” 190th for trusting administrative support for speech, and 36th for the ability to have difficult discussions on campus.

The school has a 28.8:1 liberal to conservative student ratio.

The university was given a yellow light speech code rating.

Northwestern University

Northwestern University, Illinois, was ranked 197th out of 203 for the 2022-2023 academic year. The university ranked 25th for being tolerant of controversial speakers, including both conservative and liberal individuals.

The university ranked 187th in student acceptance of disrupting speaker events and disinvited one speaker from campus between 2019-2022.

Regarding student perception of the campus climate, the university ranked 156th in “comfort expressing ideas,” 152nd for trusting administrative support for speech, and 100th for the ability to have difficult discussions on campus.

The school has a 6.4:1 liberal to conservative student ratio.

The university was given a red light speech code rating.

Yale University

Yale University was ranked 198th out of 203 for the 2022-2023 academic year. The university ranked 7th for being tolerant of controversial speakers, including both conservative and liberal individuals.

The university ranked 184th in student acceptance of disrupting speaker events and disinvited one speaker from campus between 2019-2022.

Regarding student perception of the campus climate, the university ranked 106th in “comfort expressing ideas,” 150th for trusting administrative support for speech, and 85th for the ability to have difficult discussions on campus.

The school has a 5.2:1 liberal to conservative student ratio.

The university was given a yellow light speech code rating.

Skidmore College

Skidmore College, New York, was ranked 199th out of 203 for the 2022-2023 academic year. The university ranked 100th for being tolerant of controversial speakers, including both conservative and liberal individuals.

The university ranked 107th in student acceptance of disrupting speaker events and disinvited no speakers from campus between 2019-2022.

Regarding student perception of the campus climate, the university ranked 150th in “comfort expressing ideas,” 134th for trusting administrative support for speech, and 104th for the ability to have difficult discussions on campus.

The school has an 11.8:1 liberal to conservative student ratio.

The university was given a red light speech code rating.

Georgetown University

Georgetown University was ranked 200th out of 203 for the 2022-2023 academic year. The university ranked 2nd for being tolerant of controversial speakers, including both conservative and liberal individuals.

The university ranked 170th in student acceptance of disrupting speaker events and disinvited no speakers from campus between 2019-2022.

Regarding student perception of the campus climate, the university ranked 152nd in “comfort expressing ideas,” 100th for trusting administrative support for speech, and 111th for the ability to have difficult discussions on campus.

The school has a 3.3:1 liberal to conservative student ratio.

The university was given a red light speech code rating.

Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute

Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, New York, was ranked 201st out of 203 for the 2022-2023 academic year. The university ranked 149th for being tolerant of controversial speakers, including both conservative and liberal individuals.

The university ranked 55th in student acceptance of disrupting speaker events and disinvited no speakers from campus between 2019-2022.

Regarding student perception of the campus climate, the university ranked 194th in “comfort expressing ideas,” 203rd for trusting administrative support for speech, and 177th for the ability to have difficult discussions on campus.

The school has a 2.3:1 liberal to conservative student ratio.

The university was given a red light speech code rating.

University of Pennsylvania

The University of Pennsylvania was ranked 202nd out of 203 for the 2022-2023 academic year. The university ranked 102nd for being tolerant of controversial speakers, including both conservative and liberal individuals.

The university ranked 188th in student acceptance of disrupting speaker events and disinvited one speaker from campus between 2019-2022.

Regarding student perception of the campus climate, the university ranked 187th in “comfort expressing ideas,” 130th for trusting administrative support for speech, and 136th for the ability to have difficult discussions on campus.

The school has a 5.9:1 liberal to conservative student ratio.

The university was given a yellow light speech code rating.

Columbia University

Columbia University was ranked 203rd out of 203 for the 2022-2023 academic year. The university ranked 3rd for being tolerant of controversial speakers, including both conservative and liberal individuals.

The university ranked 177th in student acceptance of disrupting speaker events and disinvited no speakers from campus between 2019-2022.

Regarding student perception of the campus climate, the university ranked 168th in “comfort expressing ideas,” 43rd for trusting administrative support for speech, and 133rd for the ability to have difficult discussions on campus.

The school has a 6.8:1 liberal to conservative student ratio.

The university was given a yellow light speech code rating.

Sean Stevens, Senior Research Fellow of Polling and Analytics, told Campus Reform that “the administration at each school in the bottom 10 could publicly take a clear and strong stance in support of free expression” to improve its ratings.

“This means defending scholars when controversy erupts over their speech or expression -- whether inside the classroom or outside of it -- this would, in theory, improve their scores on the Administrative Support subcomponent,” Stevens said. “There are also speech code policies at every single school in the bottom ten that could be revised so they no longer restrict free expression.”

He continued, saying, “They could also encourage greater tolerance for different ideological viewpoints by employing orientation materials and/or coursework teaching students about free speech rights and the importance of the First Amendment (see here), or about the value of constructive dialogue and viewpoint diversity.”

View the full database here.

All universities mentioned have been contacted for comment. The article will be updated accordingly. 

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